King Elementary students learn about North Central during school’s College Day

Students in Carol Kostelny’s first-grade classroom at Irene King Elementary School in Romeoville learned about North Central College during the school’s College Spirit Day Oct. 4.

Classrooms in the Valley View School District school “adopt” a college or university and learn about that institution as a way of encouraging college readiness. Educators are introducing younger children to higher education to get them thinking about college early, so they can plan their studies accordingly and graduate high school prepared to pursue their academic careers.

“The students have been learning a lot about North Central’s history and what they can study if they go there,” says Irene King Elementary School Principal April Vacik, who earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education at North Central College in 1990. She then returned to North Central for graduate studies in education that resulted in her earning her principal’s license from the State of Illinois.